[jlbrach]

I enjoyed my time with the TC but realized I had to let it go because my listening habits involve a lot of reclining and sometimes listening while on a massage chair and the TC form factor disagrees with that.

if you are sitting still in a chair the TC is very comfortable,if you move around it becomes more problematic

 

[GarlicBiscuit]

Very well put! This is why I've held for some time that Caldera has the best bass of any headphone. Not necessarily the MOST bass, but the BEST bass. If you just want the MOST bass, Beats & Eris are there for you.

I've never really been a basshead, but I do love a fun and present bass. From all the headphones I've owned, I think Audezes and the CO have done it the best for me. The LCD-X I had was immensely punchy (the snappy kind of punch rather than thumpy), yet it still remained clean. The Susvara certainly had the nimblest bass, it was the easiest to hear through, but it lacked in quantity. The Calderas pretty much fall between those two while leaning more into thumpiness and having a wonderful timbre.

That being said, if any of you want a headphone that does bass in a very colored and fun way, check out the Sony MDR-Z1R. It's the audio equivalent of junk food, and the bass was easily the star of the show.

 

[Pashmeister]

I've never really been a basshead, but I do love a fun and present bass. From all the headphones I've owned, I think Audezes and the CO have done it the best for me. The LCD-X I had was immensely punchy (the snappy kind of punch rather than thumpy), yet it still remained clean. The Susvara certainly had the nimblest bass, it was the easiest to hear through, but it lacked in quantity. The Calderas pretty much fall between those two while leaning more into thumpiness and having a wonderful timbre.

I have to give my bass award to the Susvara tbh. But I’ve only gotten the Susvara to my ideal sound after 2 years kissing frogs and exploring amplifiers. The way the bass goes subterranean with just the right amount of realistic quantity for me is hard to beat and thankfully I had the patience to stick with til I got it to sound right. To get there, I purchased a 300B speaker amplifier designed with a larger than normal transformer and built by a HK tube master who sold his factory more than a decade ago and has since retired in Singapore and kept a small shop. I then commissioned him to add a headphone jack with the best output settings for the Susvara’s requirements. It was a fun journey but obviously not for everyone lol.

But I do love my Caldera as well. I’m on my early stages of relationship with it and it’s so very easy to appreciate. No need to collect all 7 dragon balls to get it to sound perfect.

 

[jinxy245]

2 years kissing frogs and exploring amplifiers

Kudos on that one, it made me chuckle.

 

[Iffy]

I compared the HP8 vs Aegis in my system when I reviewed the Aegis. The HP8, despite its compact size & smaller tube count, gets rather close to the Aegis overall, though as they say, "the devil is in the details."

That comparison did nothing to lower my appreciation for the HP8, which also responds very well to tube rolling. I can't imagine selling it.

Yes, It's exactly from your great review where I discovered the HP8 and got interested.

Digged more info and everyone seemed so pleased, Pashmeister and a couple calls on online shops confirmed that HP8 is a wonderful piece... so when my Caldera arrives I have the chance to test on a local shop and decide

 

[Adnan Firoze]

Do you have a preference for TC or Caldera? I also have TC (and LCD4) and am considering also adding Caldera. Quite happy to add another set of headphones if they provide something different, but I don't want to buy a "lesser TC".

I did own the Auteur for a few weeks, but didn't like those at all, and sent them back, but I'm presuming the Caldera have quite a different sound signature to the Auteur.

I have the 1266TC, LCD4 and the Caldera with me right now. Granted, I am still in the honeymoon phase with the Caldera but I think my listening is fairly good for my age (early 30s) and hear up to 18 KHz. That's relevant because of the upper end zing of the TC (and thankfully did not kill my hearing when I used to play the drums in my early years). That said, I would put the Caldera above the other two for a long-term relationship. I can listen to the Caldera, then the LCD4, and last the TC in that order. The most natural and pleasing is definitely the Caldera. Here's I would delineate them for me - the TC is the most interesting for shorter bursts (unparalleled bass impact and a bit too spicy upper zing ). It has the most party fricks and so much fun. The LCD4 is one that I can turn it up, and I mean rock out unhealthy levels of volume to totally rock out to metal or thrash.

Neither are as natural with spectacular bass of the Caldera. Also, those who find it to have forward upper mid energy (I do not btw.), ZMF now has a green mesh to make it smoother and darker. I will get one but I have no intention of installing it. The Caldera is just right! It can be bombastic without being shrill or fatiguing (note I listen to a lot of heavy stuff; audiophile music rarely come on my playlists).

Btw. regarding "note weight" as in "when riffs were men" kind of sound (yes, Susvara - looking at your delicate "audiophile" guitar riffs that made me sell you), Caldera has the meatiest of the bunch.

For my library dominated by a lot of Lamb of God, Sepultura, Pantera (well you get the idea), the Caldera easily takes the cake! Take a bow, ZMF!

 

[GarlicBiscuit]

Neither are as natural with spectacular bass of the Caldera. Also, those who find it to have forward upper mid energy (I do not btw.), ZMF now has a green mesh to make it smoother and darker. I will get one but I have no intention of installing it. The Caldera is just right! It can be bombastic without being shrill or fatiguing (note I listen to a lot of heavy stuff; audiophile music rarely come on my playlists).

Btw. regarding "note weight" as in "when riffs were men" the of sound (yes, Susvara - looking at your delicate "audiophile" guitar riffs that made me sell you), Caldera has the meatiest of the bunch.

For my library dominated by a lot of Lamb of God, Sepultura, Pantera (well you get the idea), the Caldera easily takes the cake! Take a bow, ZMF!

The green mesh is meant for the Caldera Closed. It's the mantle mesh that was made for the Open if you want to shave off a bit of upper mid/treble energy. That aside, I definitely agree that the Calderas do a great job with metal, in my case thrash and progressive.

 

[krude]

I have the 1266TC, LCD4 and the Caldera with me right now. Granted, I am still in the honeymoon phase with the Caldera but I think my listening is fairly good for my age (early 30s) and hear up to 18 KHz. That's relevant because of the upper end zing of the TC (and thankfully did not kill my hearing when I used to play the drums in my early years). That said, I would put the Caldera above the other two for a long-term relationship. I can listen to the Caldera, then the LCD4, and last the TC in that order. The most natural and pleasing is definitely the Caldera. Here's I would delineate them for me - the TC is the most interesting for shorter bursts (unparalleled bass impact and a bit too spicy upper zing ). It has the most party fricks and so much fun. The LCD4 is one that I can turn it up, and I mean rock out unhealthy levels of volume to totally rock out to metal or thrash.

Neither are as natural with spectacular bass of the Caldera. Also, those who find it to have forward upper mid energy (I do not btw.), ZMF now has a green mesh to make it smoother and darker. I will get one but I have no intention of installing it. The Caldera is just right! It can be bombastic without being shrill or fatiguing (note I listen to a lot of heavy stuff; audiophile music rarely come on my playlists).

Btw. regarding "note weight" as in "when riffs were men" the of sound (yes, Susvara - looking at your delicate "audiophile" guitar riffs that made me sell you), Caldera has the meatiest of the bunch.

For my library dominated by a lot of Lamb of God, Sepultura, Pantera (well you get the idea), the Caldera easily takes the cake! Take a bow, ZMF!

TCs upper zing means you need to tweak your system. TC same as Caldera is easiest to manage with tubes. In my current system TC has really smooth treble.

 

[Adnan Firoze]

TCs upper zing means you need to tweak your system. TC same as Caldera is easiest to manage with tubes. In my current system TC has really smooth treble.

Respectfully disagree. Feel free to check out its FR and I do have 300Bs and also tube pre's on a chain to a speaker amp. Also since you have to "manage" the TC and not the others says something as very few headphones need such "management" (I remember the Beyer T1 original). That said the TC is still one of my favorites but even the biggest TC fan would likely acknowledge its upper end spice. Of course everyone hears differently.

EDIT: That zing of the TC can be exacerbated depending on how far you place the cups. So, there are indeed many variables with than headphone. Please don't get me wrong. I am reporting what I hear.

 

[krude]

Respectfully disagree. Feel free to check out its FR and I do have 300Bs and also tube pre's on a chain to a speaker amp. Also since you have to "manage" the TC and not the others says something as very few headphones need such "management" (I remember the Beyer T1 original). That said the TC is still one of my favorites but even the biggest TC fan would likely acknowledge its upper end spice. Of course everyone hears differently.

You may disagree, I spent 3 years on building my system for this headphone. Did a post on managing spicy treble for Caldera based on those experiences if you care to look in this thread.

For me it was mostly tube / amp synergy and power distortion.

Btw its possible to overdampen the system so much that TC sounds dull in the treble believe it or not. It doesn't need that much. Way way easier to make TC smooth than Susvara to rock

 

[Lyssky]

OMG Caldera...

 

[Benesyed]

What is the best way to figure out which earpads I have? I am asking because my puppy got to my headphones and tore up the earpad, trying to replace it but I cant tell which one it is.

Its soft leather not suede and is perforated on all surfaces

 

[GarlicBiscuit]

What is the best way to figure out which earpads I have? I am asking because my puppy got to my headphones and tore up the earpad, trying to replace it but I cant tell which one it is.

Its soft leather not suede and is perforated on all surfaces

Leather perforated on all surfaces would probably be the ultra-perforated lambskin pads. I'd like to eventually try those out of sheer curiosity, even though the thicks give me a convincing reason to not swap.

 

[up late]

red is the colour of my favourite headphone

 

[photobillyli]

Just received and tried the mentle mesh on my CO. The treble is clearly less sharp, but overall the sound is more "dull". It makes me enjoy the CO less.... should I then try the thick pad without the mantle mesh?